Heartburn or GERD can Kill

Heartburn is a common annoyance. The busy lifestyle, quick meals, fatty or spicy foods all contribute to the occasional need of a chewable pain reliever. The acceptance of heartburn as an inconvenient, but natural, part of the daily grind can blind you to the warning that a severe heartburn symptom can bring.

Heartburn as a Disorder

Heartburn can be a symptom as well as a disorder. Simple heartburn or GERD can be controlled and dealt with. However, heartburn can signal the presence of a much more serious problem. If it’s heartburn, you will have a burning sensation in the chest usually after eating. There may be a spread of the burning to the throat, sometimes accompanied by a bad taste, difficulty in swallowing, belching, coughing, hoarseness and/or wheezing.

It can become worse by lying down or bending over or by eating. Relief can come from an antacid. While the more severe heartburn symptoms may be mistaken for a heart attack, simple heartburn is usually not made worse by exercise. If there is any concern that the pain may signal a heart attack, get help quickly.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Your Options Against Dental Infection

By Cathy Howard

Bad breath and toothaches are not the only things that dental infections bring. Although a dentist should be consulted for treating these infections, it will be good to know what causes this to know what treatments to expect.

Gum disease, if left unattended, can cause dental infections. These can lead to toothaches, swelling and sores in the gums. Bleeding, halitosis and your tooth falling off can also be caused by these. In serious cases, the infection can reach your brain and cause death. This is normally cured with intense cleaning, surgery and the removal of teeth that are too far gone to be saved.

Tooth decay, if left to spread, can also lead to dental infection. Untreated tooth decay can reach the nerves and cause extreme pain and swelling. This infection can also block your airways or spread to the brain and end up killing you. Antibiotics and extraction of the rotten tooth are the usual treatments.

A strong blow to the jaw or the mouth can also shock a nerve and cause dental infection. If a tooth gets broken, the tooth underneath could suffer extreme trauma.

The nerve could die from the trauma and rot inside the tooth. Excessive sensitivity and discoloration can be warning signs.

If you feel any of these symptoms, see a dentist immediately. You could save your tooth, and even your life.

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